


Mostly Void, Partially Stars

by writing_regen



Series: Holding The Universe Together Across My Shoulders [5]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005), Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Light Angst, M/M, She said I NEED FRIENDS, The crossover nobody asked for but I needed, Typical Night Vale Weirdness, Weird Biology, Weirdness, and they love her, is she having tea with josie and dinner with the palmers? yes, shes a time traveler she can do whatever the fuck she wants, so i gave her some
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:27:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23324728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writing_regen/pseuds/writing_regen
Summary: With a final wave, she set off through the sands, purposefully parking outside of the town’s limits to try and avoid any eyes on her before she was ready for them, though she was fairly certain she was already being watched.𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙏𝙤 𝙉𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙑𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙋𝙤𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙡... 𝙄𝙩 𝘿𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣𝙩 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧, 𝘿𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙄𝙩?Well. It was certainly the right place then, wasn’t it?
Relationships: Carlos/Cecil Palmer, The Doctor & Carlos The Scientist, The Doctor & Cecil Palmer, The Doctor & Old Woman Josie
Series: Holding The Universe Together Across My Shoulders [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1628440
Comments: 5
Kudos: 67





	Mostly Void, Partially Stars

**Author's Note:**

> aaaaahhh i have no excuse for this I just though their aesthetics mashed really well

The TARDIS shuddered and wheezed, almost seeming to freeze in the time vortex. Red lights and loud bells filled her senses and the Doctor huffed, “Is it really technically an alternate reality, though? I mean it’s just… sort of pushed to the side,” 

A series of testy huffs and beeps answered her question and she rolled her eyes, but there was the edge of mirth in her eyes, “Alright, fair enough. But we’re almost there! I’ve got a special invite. It’d be rude to ignore it,” 

There were several seconds of tension, all of the Universe is and was and could-bes flashing by outside as the Doctor twirled and skipped around the console, always stumbling blindly through a dance for one. But she was nothing if not stubborn (and just a touch clever) and with a final groan, the TARDIS shot abruptly forward, and a grin finally worked its way over her features, followed by a small noise of excitement cut off by a wheeze of her own as she was pressed against the console with the force of the motion. 

The lights dimmed as the TARDIS settled, dipping into low power mode to recover with a final flick over their psychic link, a (not-so-gentle) reminder to be careful and make it back alright. The place she was entering had strange rules, and for someone not very particular on keeping up to date or following them, it could be dangerous.

But things were always dangerous! That was where she thrived. And she always learned something new here. Never quite understood what was going on, and as much as that frustrated her, it was one of the few things in the Universe that could still get her excited - not knowing what came next. 

Taking a deep breath, she gave the console a reassuring pat, slipping her hands into her pockets to confirm the psychic paper, her invite, and her sonic screwdriver were all where they should be. Best be prepared around here. Town itself was almost psychic, so things tended to get dodgy for her pretty quickly. Stepping outside, she was left squinting and blinking against the harsh sun, sand kicking up at her feet and it all reminded her a bit of the awe and reverence she had felt very early on in this face, looking at her beautiful Ghost Monument.

Turning her head, the smile softer and more personal now, she laid one hand on the woodwork, “You keep yourself safe too, alright? Keep those shields up, even if it means I’m stuck here a little longer,” 

The feeling at the back of her mind was fond but exasperated and urging her to just go before she drew any more attention to them.

With a final wave, she set off through the sands, purposefully parking outside of the town’s limits to try and avoid any eyes on her before she was ready for them, though she was fairly certain she was already being watched. 

𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙏𝙤 𝙉𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙑𝙖𝙡𝙚 

𝙋𝙤𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙡... 𝙄𝙩 𝘿𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣𝙩 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧, 𝘿𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙄𝙩?

Well. It was certainly the right place then, wasn’t it? Stepping almost delicately over the town borders, her gaze swept over the ramshackle houses and deteriorating roadways, the shadow of something almost like a raccoon but blinked with too many eyes from the shadows, the one house that shimmered with an ethereal energy and an old woman sat on the porch, knitting needles that flashed threateningly in the sun.

The Doctor grinned and waved, “Josie!” 

The woman looked up, “Oh! Doctor, dear, weren’t expecting you in town,”

“Radio invite,” She held up the little slip of paper she’d found laid impossibly on her console one morning, “Learned the hard way not to be late to those,” She approached the house and leaned against the banister, arms crossed and shooting a smile and little salute to one of the beings that shuffled around inside the home.

It too blinked at her with too many eyes, but she could never count how many, and several pairs of wings blinked in and out of existence across its body, glowing a deep black that hurt if she looked at it for too long. It looked surprised to be acknowledged and waved back before returning to dusting off old photographs.

“So, guessing we’re still not talking about… the Erikas then?” She asked, tilting her head towards the house, “Best to get my timelines all straight before I end up having another fun chat with City Council because I said something in the wrong place,” She shuddered slightly at the memory.

Old Woman Josie was safe to talk to, seemingly predating the convoluted rules of the town around her, exempt from the alarms and the eyes and the ears, even as the Doctor caught a glimpse of a camera at the corner and a radio sitting snug on her windowsill.

“Well, they’re working on it, aren’t they? Cecil’s got his heart in the right place, and he’s even gotten Steve Carlsberg to help him out this time around! The Angels' futures are certainly starting to look bright,” Josie’s eyes glittered knowingly with something she couldn’t possibly have known.

The Doctor winked, “They could be, couldn’t they?” She replied, pushing herself upright, “Lovely catching up, but I really should be hurrying along, can’t imagine what the consequences are for being late. Maybe I’ll stop by for tea later?” 

“Stay safe, Doctor,” 

The Doctor’s smile faltered at the gravity of her words, “When aren’t I?” She called over her shoulder, only to be met with a derisive snort.

Making her way deeper into town, it was all the little things that stood out. Shadows that crept out of alleyways and reached for passerby that effortlessly skirted around them without even a lost step. Bloodstains and rubble marked off with police tape, but the only police to be seen were in crouched bushes and looking extremely bored. None of it made any sense.

She loved it. 

Until she felt very lost. Which was not a good position to find yourself in in Night Vale, but things tended to change places without ever moving. 

It was pure luck (or Secret Police intervention. Night Vale, the town itself, had always seemed to like her) that she stumbled upon a familiar building, purple smoke seeping out of the windows, and a mix of panicked yells and exhilarated laughter echoing into the street.

Yeah, that checked out. 

Slipping in through the door (it was locked, but really, when had that stopped her, and she HAD tried knocking, but that just resulted in a glare from the balaclava-clad being by the door), she waved some of the remnant smoke out of her face and called out, “Carlos? Is he in right now? I’ve found myself in a bit of a pickle and could use his help,” 

She was met, rather rudely, by being shoved against the wall and a hand placed over her mouth by one of the current working scientists, panic in his eyes and adrenaline shaking his movements, “Sh! It’ll hear you!” 

“Oh, for the Glow Cloud’s sake!” There was an echo of “All Hail” from around the room, “It’s a lizard! It’s not even glowing, it won’t hurt you. Probably,” 

The scientist was pulled off of her with a tired huff and she was left blinking up at Carlos.

Crossing her arms, she raised an eyebrow, “You know, I don’t take kindly to being shushed,” 

“You must not be from around here then,”

“No, actually. That’s the problem,” The serious act broke and she was back to smiling, “Probably don’t recognize me. Last time I was here I was all spiky hair and pinstriped suits and romantic angst. Go by the Doctor. Ring any bells? Know memory around here can be a bit rubbish,” 

There was the moment pause where she genuinely worried he didn’t remember her, but it passed and his face broke into a wide grin, hardly missing a beat at the fact she’d changed faces (stranger things happened all the time in Night Vale). “Oh! Doctor! Didn’t know you were coming around!” 

He stuck his hand out for a handshake, and surprised her by pulling her into a hug when she accepted, and she laughed a little as he pulled back. Her and Carlos had always gotten along. Viewed the world and the Universe the same way. Seen some things that didn’t make any sense. Not really sure where they stood among people they cared about. Sparked a sort of kinship.

“Yeah, didn’t plan on it. But radio calls apparently, and-” Something shiny caught her eye and she followed the source before she gasped, something surprised and delighted and maybe a little sad invading her expression, “you got married! And I missed it!” She thought of River and her expression fell slightly, but it was filled with a love for the Universe that came from decades of love, “When did this happen?”

Carlos looked flustered but beyond pleased as he answered, “Not that long ago. Legally at least, you know how paperwork is here.” 

“Oh, it’s a nightmare. Congratulations! You’re both very lucky. Love like yours is rare you know,” 

“Thank you! I really do love him. Even when he spends two hours monologuing to Khoshekh,” He seemed to physically shake him out of the thoughts. She remembered vaguely what it was like to feel that way, “Anyway, you had a problem?”

“Right. Radio station? Think it’s moved since I was last here,” She at the very least had the grace to look sheepish. 

He laughed, and waved it off, “Just last week, actually. I’ll walk you there,”

“Any excuse to see Cecil?”

“Don’t you know it,”

As they exited the small lab, she just hummed her agreement. She had known it. Once. A long time ago. Not anymore, though.

The short walk to the station was filled with conversation, light-hearted and dangerously skirting illegal topics. Comparing the crazy things they’d seen (the ones that were easier to talk about) and the scientific properties that might have been behind it all. It was nice to have these conversations with someone, even if neither completely understood what the other was saying.

That wasn’t the important part. The important part was the ease. 

The building itself was generally unremarkable. Painted a deep purple like the romanticized night sky, a radio tower sat comfortably on top, blinking a steady red, on and off. 

The intern, somehow somewhere between bored and petrified, stopped them at the door. Well. Stopped her. Didn’t spare Carlos a second glance.

“Sorry, Station Management has decided they don’t look good today. No unnecessary guests,”

“I’ve been invited for today’s show, hold on, I’ll show you,” An awkward moment passed as she dug in her pockets for the invite, finally pulling it out with a small noise of triumph, “There it is! There. Special invitation,”

The intern barely gave the paper a glance before sighing and rolling their eyes, “Fine. Try not to die in there. I’ll have to fill out the paperwork,” 

And she was inside. 

It was much darker inside than one might expect. All the lights were dim, and the faint growls and hisses of some primordial beast echoed down the halls. Other than that, it was almost eerily quiet. Even their footsteps were muffled, and all conversation had ended - but out of reverence and respect or fear and self-preservation, she wasn’t sure. 

Slipping down a side hallway, they reached the recording booth. There was only one this time. Last time she had been here there was a second that was only ever visible out of the corner of your eye. The On-Air sign was dim, and she felt a wave of relief. 

“On time too. Surprisingly difficult task for a time traveler,” She chirped as they stepped into the room,

“Barely,” It’s sole inhabitant replied, sounding somewhere between amused and annoyed (a very common combination around her).

“Cecil!”

“Doctor. So you got the invite?”

He was grinning as he turned to face them.

She was pretty sure. She loved Cecil. He made no sense. It was utterly fascinating. She could never get a good luck at him. It was like his whole being was a perception filter, and her eyes just wanted to slide right over. Everything about him said he should have been a man, but something just wasn’t quite right about the image.

An ancient god molding a human out of clay from memory. Just a little bit off.

“I did. How’d you get it into my ship?”

“I’ve got my ways. And friends,” His voice changed as he turned further, “And hi Carlos,” She barely bit back a laugh at how he suddenly sounded like a lovesick teenager.

“Hi, sweetheart. Just came to say hi. Good luck on today’s show!” And with a blown kiss and a wink, Carlos was gone, and she settled onto the little stool beside Cecil.

“So, miss any good news?”

“Always. But the show is about to begin, and we’ll have time to chat over Big Rico’s. It’s mandatory pizza night. Ready?”

“Always,”

And he turned to the radio equipment that looked a few decades off, flipped a few switches, and smiled at her.

The light behind them flashed red, there was a gurgle from the frosted glass door.

She shut her eyes to just listen for a moment. Pretend that this face was still new and everything was alright.

"𝘕𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘸𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘒𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩. 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺,"

Her eyes fluttered open in surprise, and she looked at him in surprise. She knew those words. Those were her words. From when this face was still new and everything was alright.

He winked (she was pretty sure), “Welcome to Night Vale. Today, I’ve gone through the trouble of finding a special guest that can be rather hard to contact…” 

**Author's Note:**

> she said :0 just this whole time. i finally wrote something happy for her! mostly. lots of wide-eyed wonder that I'm missing. pls bring it back mr.bbc shes so Sad.


End file.
